camp food recommendations

[NAILER341]

i am getting ready to do a bit of a back packing trip, and are in the market for some of that freeze dried camp food.
i have heard good things about the http://www.mountainhouse.com/
food as having the best flavor.

now, there are many flavors of this stuff, and i am looking for some first hand experience in just which ones actually do taste good.
i am looking for the entrees, and not so much the vegies, nor eggs...

what do you know?

[igofshn]

MRE's. You can get them at www.sportsmansguide.com

[goodtimes]

Of all the freeze dried stuff I have tried, I like mountain house the best. Not only is the price usually better than the others, the food tastes better too. My personal favorite (which I have at least once each backpacking trip) is the chili mac. It has a bit of a bite, so if spicy really isn't your thing, avoid it (which is not to say it is super hot....it isn't...). Avoid anything with a white sauce. It always turns out chalky and pretty nasty. I also don't take any freeze dried desserts, etc. Just the main course, just not into the other stuff.

I also suggest you take along a ziploc bag or two of "trail mix type stuff". Personally, I usually don't eat enough while backpacking because I'm simply not hungry. Altitude sickness sets in quick if you don't eat, and you will hit a wall (energy wise) if you don't. My favorite is simply dry roasted peanuts and plain M&M's. Alot of calories (energy), salty enough to keep you drinking water (a good thing), and always within easy reach. If I feel like something different, I'll add some dried berries to the mix. Keep a bag in easy reach, so you can munch along the trail as you desire. This usually makes up about 50% of my food intake while backpacking.

The little packages of energy gel stuff....some of them don't taste too bad, and I have always been impressed with how well they work. Just don't wait until you are completely exhausted before eating them. I also would not rely strictly on them...but if you know you have a big climb coming up on the trail....they seem to help. Maybe it is all in my head...but hey, if that's what it takes...

One of the guys I hiked Mt. Elbert with last month is really into the engineered food. I've never tried it, but some people really like the stuff. It is another option.

So where are you headed?

[NAILER341]

i am going up to huntington lake area. i think the trails we will be on are in the dinkey creek area, which has an altitude of 9500-11000 feet.
i havent been packing for about 10 years so this will kick my ass. i am trying to get as light as possible in the equipment and food
i'll have to knock the dust off of my dated equipment.
my 17 year old son is coming as well, so... i'll help him fill his pack
he'll be hauling the heavy stuff, but i wont tell him until the trip is over

[sarah]

Mountain House, and don't get anything cute, like scrambled eggs. They taste like rubber. From my experience and from what I've heard, stick to the Italian and noodle-based dishes.

[swbooking]

I say forget the freeze dried food and go with twinkies and coke! haha

[maddmike]

my personal fav is the lasagna with meat sauce by mountain house. beware, 1 packet usually isn't enough for 1 person, i'd bring at least 2 full packets per person per main course. i think each pack is only about 400-450 calories, which isn't a lot after 1 day of strenuous hiking.

i agree with the rest, the mountain house brand def takes the cake in quality over the others.

another tip for saving weight for maximum calories is to pack lots of nuts and peanut butter. i like to go to the grocery store and make my own trail mix from the nut section. defnintely very filling. cheers and have fun in your adventures.

PS i actually like the scrambled eggs and bacon, unlike some others here

[cjdirtbiker]

Need gear?

i am going up to huntington lake area. i think the trails we will be on are in the dinkey creek area, which has an altitude of 9500-11000 feet.
i havent been packing for about 10 years so this will kick my ass. i am trying to get as light as possible in the equipment and food
i'll have to knock the dust off of my dated equipment.
my 17 year old son is coming as well, so... i'll help him fill his pack
he'll be hauling the heavy stuff, but i wont tell him until the trip is over

Erik,
I have a lot of gear that you're welcome to borrow. Stove, tents, etc., and an awesome hi-tech pack we bought Nick recently for scouts. I bought a lot of stuff last year for the 'con trip and only used it once. And I had some of that kind of gear for motorcycle camping.

I did a lot of hiking in the Cascades in WA when I was younger (much younger ) and my best advice is to get the best boots you can afford and put some miles on them before you go, even if it's loops around the block or wearing them all day everyday for a week. That altitude is what's going to kick your a$$!! Sounds like a blast.
Let me know...
--Chris

[sarah]

...PS i actually like the scrambled eggs and bacon, unlike some others here

We didn't get bacon, so we must have had a different brand for that one. We went to Sport Chalet and bought a few to try, they recommended Mountain House so we got most of those, and a few of the other brands. The eggs were so gross I thought I was on Fear Factor, and couldn't even finish my plate. Hehe.

[NAILER341]

Erik,
I have a lot of gear that you're welcome to borrow. Stove, tents, etc., and an awesome hi-tech pack we bought Nick recently for scouts. I bought a lot of stuff last year for the 'con trip and only used it once. And I had some of that kind of gear for motorcycle camping.

I did a lot of hiking in the Cascades in WA when I was younger (much younger ) and my best advice is to get the best boots you can afford and put some miles on them before you go, even if it's loops around the block or wearing them all day everyday for a week. That altitude is what's going to kick your a$$!! Sounds like a blast.
Let me know...
--Chris

i may just take you up on that! i'll call you later this afternoon. this will save me a small fortune in buying jeffrey a bunch of new stuff.
Thank you for offering

[Britain]

You may want to check with the ranger station for allowable group size also if they have bear canisters. Sometime the ranger station will have some If not you'll need to find a place to rent them.

[willys2004]

Mountainhouse Grub is Great

Mountain House grub is the best. Recently, we made one of their rasberry crumble desserts while out at a campsite. My friend put it perfectly. If he came over to my house for dinner, the thing would have been a "1," out in the middle of nowhere, it was a "10."

[cjdirtbiker]

>snip
...check if they have bear canisters. Sometime the ranger station will have some If not you'll need to find a place to rent them.

This is very important and may well be applilcable. Get hold of the nearest ranger station for sure and find out. They can ruin your trip or worse.

[jimmyrig]

After 4 years in the Army MRE's are the way to go, 2500 calories a bag...
And each bag is more then enough food. make sure they are the newer ones not gulf war stuff those suck! Most surplus places carry them.